Mikey vs. Australia: Hangovers: What do you do with a month off in Australia?

3 years ago I went to HEB on Hopkins in San Marcos, and I bought a pack of note cards. Those 3 x 6 cards were going to help me get into school. I would write down their information, their admission criteria, whatever I needed to.

It started with Florida State and I (like ya do) ended up losing that pack of notes – I would have loved to see if there was a mention of the University of Queensland. My email says I contacted 33 schools about getting in - all of them said no.

I started this on a porch in San Marcos...

...and ended it on a porch in Brisbane…

When I moved here I didn’t expect to be doing what I’ve done over the last 2 weeks. I’ve started to re-watch the West Wing, I also started season 10 of E.R. I’ve won 2 superbowls on xbox, and had 2 massages over 3 weeks.

I figured I’d be sand boarding down sand dunes, or skydiving over Byron. I figured I’d be in Sydney every other weekend, or at the beach writing this. I assumed I’d have a motorcycle, but forgot they drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road here. I thought I'd be here...all the time:

I assumed I’d be chillin, I guess I’m just used to working.

I haven’t had to write any papers, call any banks, teach any classes, or email any program directors. I haven’t had any lattes to make, any burritos to roll, any patients to code, and there is certainly no laundry to be done.

Wait; check that, this shirt smells iffy.

I didn’t expect to not have anything to do. This is the first time in 3 years I haven't had any school to email, any classes to teach, anything 'else' going on.

In San Marcos it was Korea, in Korea it was grad-school, in Austin it was Australia.

Now its just school, and nothing else. Finally...

Though, I’m a little freaked out by the lack of emails and the lack of objectives – but its finally nice to sit back and be into school. I’ve worked for 3 years to make this happen, 2 weeks off may be needed.

I know I’ll end up regretting lying around watching TV in a country that I’ve barely seen. Sydney will cost a grand, Perth will be 800, and Melbourne will be around 500. I’ll (hopefully) have a job next semester, and a similar schedule so I think I’ll do the responsible thing and wait it out. It seemed to work well in Korea.

I did the same thing in Korea during my summer break (all of 4 days), I just watched TV. It could be time to do that. To not work through 4 countries before I get into fucking grad school. Damn this was a pain in this ass.

I never regretted watching Son’s of Anarchy…

I’ll always regret leaving Korea, and always think that I should have been on that bike instead of in front of the TV - but that regret is inconsiderate of the previous year I had in that amazing life – something that is never going to happen again. It’s inconsiderate of the patients waiting in Austin, or the professors in Brisbane.

It’s inconsiderate of this:

Applying that same theory to Brisbane every day, I ignore the cold and rainy weather Brisbane is (apparently) known for during its “winter” and I head down to Coffee Club at Toowong. I’ll sit there, have a cup, and read the New York Times.

…damn I’m getting old.

Everything costs money here, a sandwich is 8 bucks and a coke is 4. 12 bucks for lunch on a random Tuesday is rough – but just think of how much a night out drinking will cost. Every beer I buy is canceling my ticket to Melbourne, that is prolly why West Wing is of the highest priority.

These 2 weeks have been brilliant, and as any 26 year old single dude should do...I’m gonna go have a few beers at the Piggy and enjoy a good night. Tomorrow I’m gonna spend 3 cups of coffee with and Jason and Deb, 2 hours of scholarships, and the rest on TV and xbox. I have no desire to go to the opera at Queens Street tomorrow…

Sometimes I guess, I just live here and I’m not ‘visiting’ here…

Its weird when ya start getting to that 6 month mark, I’m realising I don’t want to go out tonight and I don’t want to go to the Opera. It hit me in Korea too, I realised that I live here, and I’ve got damn near a 18 months to do things:

- Get a Masters degree

- Touch the Great Barrier Reef

- Skydive in New Zealand

- Ride this: